My plan to a tuition free CSU

It is no secret that many students are upset with the tuition fee increases, and we have shown our displeasure, but we need to present a proposal to solve the decrease in state funding toward higher education and the constant tuition increases.

The state should implement a merit based scale discount that will be determined based on the students’ GPA to lower their tuition.

According to USA Today, state support for higher education in California has dropped from $11 billion to about $9.6 billion in the past five years.

Administrators believe that the only way to maintain quality education is by increasing tuition fees since it is the only stream of revenue, however this only decreases student morale and the quality of education.

We need a way to make college more affordable for middle-income students while at the same time increasing the quality of the education in our classrooms.

Rewarding students that have high GPA’s with lower tuition will get students more engaged in class discussions and improve the education at our school, all the while helping out those who deserve it.

As of right now in order to qualify for California Grants you must have a 3.0 GPA or better. Why not get an additional break or discount for maintaining a good GPA?

If you maintain a 4.0 GPA for three quarters you can qualify for a 50 percent discount on your overall tuition fee.
If for whatever reason your GPA goes down in the next quarter to a 3.5 GPA then your tuition fee discount will only be 45 percent and it will stay at that until you can earn a 4.0 GPA for three consecutive quarters.

It may be difficult for some to maintain a 4.0 GPA but if you have been able to maintain a 3.0 GPA then you should get a 30 percent discount.

For people who can manage to average as average at a 2.0, they should have to pay full tuition because they have already made it known that school is just something that they want to pass, and if they think that way, they don’t deserve any breaks on tuition outside of scholarships or financial aid.

Some people may say that things come up to hold a person back from getting a B or an A, but that should not be an excuse because the campus offers tutoring and a writing center, as well as accommodating for students with disabilities.

“Wouldn’t it pose pressure on administrators and professors from students to give them the A because they know that the student is financially pressed?” asked Jim Smart a communication studies professor here at CSUSB.

Not necessarily.

This program would be confidential and omitted to administrators and professors. After all, Cal Grants are also based on students GPA. Professors should not be persuaded to change a student’s grade in order for the student to get a fee break because the grade should only be based on the student’s performance, not a sob story.

Administrators argue that tuition is one of the only revenue streams they can increase to make sure the university has enough money to maintain quality.

University of California Riverside (UCR) proposed a new funding model for the UC system as well.

According to USA Today, the students’ plan know as UC Student Investment Proposal, presented by UCR, states that students in the system would pay no upfront costs for their education but would agree to pay 5 percent of their income to the system for 20 years after graduating and entering the workforce.

The problem with UCR’s UC Student Investment Proposal is that there is no concrete system on how payment will be collected from alumni.

There is no plan or proposal by UCR that will track students that might move out of state.

My plan would not even have to deal with that type of problem because the effect of it comes before the student graduates. The students would have no huge sum to pay after they’re done with school.

Do not be afraid to send your own proposals to the state senators, or the CSU Board of Trustees.

If we get some good ideas flowing to them, we can get something changed for the better.